Certain types of vehicles commonly have storage compartments for baggage, equipment, and supplies. For example, recreational vehicles (RVs) typically have numerous compartments with doors hinged at the top, bottom, or side, with a cam lock or a handle on the door for opening and closing the door. Typically, handles for such storage compartment doors have a plunger which resides within the door, between the inner and outer door skins. Currently in the RV industry, lower end baggage doors use manually locking cam locks (lowest cost) and/or non-locking finger twist cam locks to secure the small doors. These low end manual locks generally are not capable of having power locking abilities with a slam action plunger. Higher end baggage handles may be power lock capable. Higher end baggage doors typically use a two-point application and not the direct drive slam action plunger seen in lower end baggage doors. Lowest cost cam locks are not desirable for the RV compartment door which may be dropped from a raised position and fall by gravity so as to slam shut. Such slam action is detrimental to the life of lowest cost locks as they are not slam capable and if rotated to a locked position and then closed, can cause paint damage. Also, lowest cost cam locks or current high cost handle assemblies typically do not allow for remote or power actuation by a key fob or key pad.
Recent door designs are becoming much thinner than in the past, so as to reduce weight and cost. Such thin doors make it more difficult for mounting conventional door handles. For example, on doors less than 1.26 inch, the inside skin must be cut to fit the plunger of the conventional handle.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved handle assembly for a storage compartment door of a vehicle.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved handle assembly which can be used on thin compartment doors.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of the inner housing which also acts as a mounting flange on the door inner surface.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a handle assembly which can be used on compartment doors less than 1.26 inch thick.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a handle assembly for a vehicle compartment door which can withstand slam action forces of the door.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a handle assembly for a vehicle compartment door which has the ability for power locking and unlocking.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a handle assembly for a vehicle compartment door which is non-handed.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a handle assembly for a vehicle compartment door which can be gripped with the palm up or the palm down to open the door.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a handle assembly for a vehicle compartment door that is side hinged which can be operated with either hand to open the door.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a handle assembly for a compartment door on a vehicle which can be approached from either the top or the bottom for grasping by a person.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a vehicle compartment door assembly having an interior egress knob to open the door from inside the compartment.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a handle assembly for a compartment door on a vehicle which is economical to manufacture and durable and safe in use.